Combined cultivator and cotton chopper



A ril s, 1940. 'w. T. BRANTLEY 2,196,547

COMBINED- CULTIVATOR AND COTTON CHOPPER ori inal Filed March 15, 1937 3 Sheets-Sheet 1 Attorneys April 9, 1940.

w. T. BRANTLEY 2,196,547

COMBINED CULTIVATOR AND COTTON CHOPPER Original Filed March 13, 197

3 Sheets-Sheet 2 Attorneys April 9, 1940; w. T. BRANTLEY COMBINED CULTIVATOR AND COTTON CHOPPER 3 Sheets-Sheet 3 Original Filed March 13, 1937 Inventor By wim Patented Apr. 9, 1940 UNITED STATES} "PATENT OFFICE COMBINED CULTIVATOR AND COTTON onorrsa v 5 William Taylor Brantley, Broaddus, Tex.

Application March 13, 1937, Serial No'. 130,765

Renewed September 19, 1939 j 1 Glaim. (01. 97-12) My invention relates generally to agricultural apparatus, and particularlyto a combined cultivator and cotton choppenfand an important object of my inv'entionis to provide a simple, efficient, and labor-saving arrangement of this character.

Other important objects of my invention will i be apparent from a reading of the following description taken in connection with the drawings, wherein for purposes of illustration I have shown a preferred embodiment of my invention.

In the drawings: Figure 1 is a general top plan view of the em- 7 bodiment with the hood over the hoe-wheel cut away. v J

Figure 2 is a vertical longitudinal sectional view taken through Figure 1 approximately centrally. k v I I Figure 3 is a transverse vertical sectional view taken substantially on a line 3--3 of Figure 2.

Figure 4 is a perspective view of one of the slide brackets. I

Figure 5 is a vertical transverse sectional view 1 of the front support for the hoe-wheel shaft.

Referring in detail to the drawings, the numeral 5 generally designates a transverse axle on the opposite ends of which are mounted the ground-engaging wheelsB and [the wheel Bbeing keyed to the axle and the wheel I being free to turn on the axle. An inverted U-shaped frame 8 has the lower ends of its legs mounted on the axledwhile longitudinal side members 9 and ill extend forwardly from the frame member 8 and are connected at their front ends by a front cross member ll. The'side members 9; and I0 have laterally outset portions l2. and I3 as shown in Figure 3 and the forward extremities of-the side members9 and ID are boltedor riveted to the cross member ll. Upper longitudinal side members 9' and In alsogh'ave outset portions l2 and I3, and diagonal extensions l6 and I! which are bolted as indicated by the numeral 18 to the' upper transverse cross member II", the latter being bolted as at I4 and I5 to the. members 9" opposite sides of the draft pole 19, ahead of the made at the place indicated by the numeral with a depending bar 26 which is pivotally con-' nected to a crank arm- 21 which is secured to a rock shaft. 28, said shaft being supportedin bearings 29 fastened to the top member of the frame 8. "A' crank arm 21' is also secured to the shaft 28 and is connected by a link 30 to the cultivator elevating lever 3|. A link 32 is detachably connected between the cultivators 23 as clearly indicated in Figure 1 of the drawings. A seat 33 supported on a bar 34 is disposed over and between thecultivators and behind the frame 8 and 'is supported on the-top member of the frame 8 and immediately on top of the L-shaped portion 35 of a longitudinal frame member 36 which has an upset portion 31 overriding the cotton chopper hoe-wheel to be described and having a portion 31' extending along and secured to the draft pole 19 as indicated in Figures 1 and 2 of the drawings. v I I I Spacing the upper and lower longitudinal frame members '9' and 9 respectively, are the vertical members 39 which are located immediately adjacent the transverse members I I and l I,'and fastened to and extending in a rearwardly inclined and inwardly converging manner are braces 40 which join'the upper cross member I l and the front leg of the upset portion 31 of the longitudinal frame member 36.

Tothe front and back legs' of the upset por tion 31 of the frame member 36 and adjustably attached by means of bolts 4| and 42, respective- 1y, passed through selected ones of the holes 43 are the slide'bearings or brackets 44 and 45 which depend below the longitudinal frame member 36 and have vertical slots 46'and 41 formed in the lower part thereof below the member 36. Brackets 44 and 45 have feet 48 and 49 which rest respectively on the cross member 213 and a rearward extension 5!! ofgthe inclined brace 5| which extends between the front lower cross member I I 1 I and theunderside of the draft pole [9 as shown in Figure 2 of the drawings. The brackets 44 and 45 are vertically adjustable to secure the desired relation to the ground of the chopper and hoewheel to be described. r v Mounted on the bight portion 31 of the frame member 36 at the front and rear extremities thereof are brackets 52and 53which journal the transversely spaced lift shafts 54, 55. Thefleft hand shaft 54 has "laterally outwardly directed 1 arms 56 and 51 attachedthereto whileisimilarly but oppositely directed arms 58 .and 59 onthe shaft are provided. From the outer ends of these arms depend vertical links 60, GI and 52 and '63. Thelower ends of the links 60 and 62 are attached to the rear hoe-wheel shaft bearing 64,

lever 14 Which is pivoted intermediate its ends as indicated by the numeral 15-on a bracket 16 projecting from the rear leg of the upset'portion 3'! of the longitudinal frame member 36. The walking beam 14 has its rear end pivoted to the upper end of a link Tl whoselower end is piv-- otally connected intermediate the ends-of a hoewheel elevation adjusting lever 18.

vided for the levers 3| and 18 which are mounted alongside each other on the member .35. of the longitudinal frame member 36, so that thelevers are in, easy reach of the operator when seated upon the seat 33. t

The hoe-wheel which is generally designated 8! comprises a circular body 82 of substantially diamond shape in cross section which issuitably keyed-to a longitudinally arranged rotary shaft 33 which is slidably mounted in the slots146 and 41 of the slide bracketsM and 45. Spacers 84 and space the hoe-wheel body 82 from and between the brackets 44 and 45 Thealready mentioned bearing 65 is held in place on the shaft, 83' by a cotter pin or the like 85, and in front of they bracket 45, while the already mentioned bearing "64 turnso-n the shaft'83 to the rear of the bracket 44 and has its rear end abut ted with abracket 8'!- through which the shaft 83: passes at its rear end. The rear end of the shaft 83 hasa beveled gear'flfithereon which is in mesh with a beveled gear 89 which is vertically slidable on andkeyed to-averticalshaft 'QUwhich traversesalso one arm of the bracket 81".

The' lower end of the vertical shaft 90 turns in a bearing 91 which iscomposedof top and bottom sections as shown: in Figure 2 of thedrawings and embracesthe axle 5 0m whichit issupported with the shaft-5 to rotate relative thereto; The lower part of the shaft 90 has a beveled gear 92 fixed thereto which is in mesh with a; beve'led gear 93' which is fixed to the rotary axle 5, so that ground motion ofthe device of the invention will-betransmitted bythe axle 5 to the shaft 90 and in turnto the hoe-Wheel 81, even though the hoe-wheel be in-a vertically adjusted position due to the selected-positioning of the lever 18.

The hoe-wheelbody 82 has extending radially therefrom and from the'forward' and rear'rsides Suitable ratchet and dog arrangements l3 and 8B arepro'- I thereof pairs of arms 94 which have fastened to the outer ends thereof the hoe-blades 95 which may be of the form illustrated.

It is obvious that by connecting suitable draft means to the draft pole l9 and pulling the device of the invention along the ground, the operator may so adjust the levers 3| and I8 as to procure the desired ground engagement of the cultivators 23 and of the hoe-wheeltl, so that combined operation of chopping cotton and plowing it at the same time are efficiently and economically performed.

A suitable hood; 96 arranged over the hoewheel 8'! maybe disposed to fit in the outset portions I2, l2 and l3,=l3' of the frame ofthe device-' as indicated in dotted lines in Figure 3.

AlthoughIuhave shown and described herein a preferred; embodiment of my invention, it is to vbe-definitely understood that I do not desire to limit the application of the invention thereto, and any change or changes may be made in the materials. and in the structure and arrangement of the parts, withinlthe spirit of the invention and the scope of the subjoined claim. i

What is claimed as new .is: Y

A cotton chopper of the character described comprising a frame including upper and lower transversely spaced longitudinal frame'members connected at" their forward ends to adr'aft pole, anrinvertediU-shaped frame member connecting the rear ended saidlon'gitudinal frame' members, a central longitudinally extending frame member .having its front end attached to the draft pole and its rear end attachdto said U- shaped frame member, the intermediate portion of said central frame member being-upset to provide an inveite'd U-shaped support," vertical brackets secured at their upper ends to the respectiveparall'el: sides of said supp'ort,:me'ans "for securing thelower ends of said brackets to the frame, said brackets having vertically extending slots, ground engaging wheels supporting said first named U-shaped member; aria-x1e rigidly connectedto one" of "said wheels, a vertically extending'shaft operatively connected tothe axle, a gear slidably mounted on theshaft for rotation therewith, a hoewheel', a longitudinal shaft on which said hoe wheel is fixedly mounted, said longitudinal shaft being slid'ably' positioned in saidslots, a gear on the lastnarned shaft operatively engaged with said slidable gea r, cross arms on the front and rear ends" of the hoe wheel shaft, rods extending upwardly from the ends of the crossarms, a rockshaftfor each rodjou'rnal'ed on the top of 'saidU-shap'ed support, crank arms connecting the upper ends of the rods to the respcctive rockjshafts; a lever and means operativelyconnecting the lever to said rock shafts for vertically adjusting the hoe Wheel. I.

T. BRANTLEY. 

